Evan morris



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

EVAN MORRIS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,338, dated January 6, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EvAN MoRRIs, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of I-Iats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part thereof, and which represents in perspective a hat body with my improvement embraced.

In the present manner of making silk, or other similar hats, there is a hardness in the band or brim which is very uncomfortable to the head.

The object of my invention, is t0 make that part of the hat elastic, or flexible, so as to render it soft and pleasant to the head, which I accomplish by cutting the band, after having` the usual stiff'ening in it, to give it flexibility, but at the same time preserve its support and durability.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the draw,- ing.

A, represents a hat body, made of any of the well known materials used for such purpose, and stiffened in the usual manner. lhere the brim and crown of the hat meet, and which part may be termed the band there is a hardness and stiffness, which is exceedingly uncomfortable to the wearer. Now to remedy this, I make a series of cuts l, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c., entirely around the band, which rise vertically or otherwise into the upright port-ion of the hat, and also horizontally, into the brim. rIhe portions of the band being thus separated, can yield to the head, while the stiffening in them causes them to be elastic or flexible enough to retain their form, and it snugly at every part thereof to the head. This cutting or slotting of the band, may tend to weaken the brim, or take from the hat its necessary support or stiffness, and durability. To restore this to the hat, an additional piece of muslin, linen or other material a, stiffened with shellac, may be placed some or Tlf inch from the band, and covered with any of the usual material used for this purpose. In the old method the support was gained from the band alone, which caused the hardness to the head, so much complained of, while my plan removes that stiffness of the band, and while making it soft to the head, it has the proper support for durability. The body thus prepared, may be covered with silk, cloth satin or parts of each, in the well known way, and finished or trimmed with the usual hat band which may also yield to the separated portions of the body or brim.

rIhe cut-s or slots may be inclined, or at varied angles to each other, without changing the character of the invention, the object being to give to that part of the hat, the property of softness and yielding to the head.

I-Iaving thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Cut-ting 0r slotting the band of a hat, as herein set forth, to make that part of it soft, and yielding to the head, while at the same time it is made to retain the requisite stiffness and support, to give it durability, as herein set forth.

EVAN MORRIS.

Witnesses JNO. B. KENNEY, C- WV. MENDENHALL. 

